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| Stijn Celis | |
|---|---|
| Name | Stijn Celis |
| Occupation | Choreographer, Ballet Director, Educator |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Nationality | Belgian |
Stijn Celis is a Belgian choreographer, ballet director, and educator noted for contemporary ballet creations and interdisciplinary projects. He has led major companies and collaborated with prominent institutions across Europe and North America, influencing repertory at theatres and festivals. His work bridges classical ballet, contemporary dance, and visual arts through partnerships with companies, composers, and designers.
Born in Belgium, Celis trained in ballet and contemporary dance at national schools and conservatoires, studying technique associated with institutions such as the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, the École de Danse de Marseille, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, and companies like the Royal Ballet School. Early influences included figures and institutions such as Maurice Béjart, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, and Rudolf Nureyev, and he engaged with festivals and theatres including the Avignon Festival, Théâtre de la Ville, La Monnaie, and Théâtre du Châtelet. He also encountered choreographic methods linked to institutions such as Biennale de Lyon, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris during formative years.
Celis danced with companies and ensembles linked to European and international stages, including the Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon, Scapino Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, and contemporary troupes associated with Nederlands Dans Theater and Tanztheater Wuppertal. He appeared at venues and festivals such as Théâtre du Capitole, Sadler's Wells, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, La Scala, and the Edinburgh Festival, working under directors connected to institutions like Opera de Lyon, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, and the Salzburg Festival. His performance career intersected with choreographers and directors associated with the Paris Opera Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, English National Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre.
Celis's choreography has been presented by companies and festivals including Bayerisches Staatsballett, Hamburg Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Dutch National Ballet, and has engaged with composers and artists tied to institutions such as IRCAM, Philharmonie de Paris, Staatskapelle Dresden, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. His aesthetic shows links to choreographic lineages represented by William Forsythe, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, and Hans van Manen, while incorporating scenography practices found at Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, and Haus der Kunst. Reviews and analyses in journals and media outlets connected to institutions like The New York Times, Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and The Guardian have noted his use of spatial architecture, lighting designs akin to works at Lincoln Center, and collaborations with visual artists represented by galleries such as Gagosian and White Cube.
He has been commissioned by companies and institutions including Royal Ballet of Flanders, Freiburg Ballet, Ballet Nacional de España, Finnish National Ballet, and the Teatro alla Scala; worked with orchestras and music houses such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and Berliner Philharmoniker; and collaborated with directors and designers linked to institutions like Salzburg Festival, Biennale di Venezia, and Théâtre du Châtelet. His partners have included choreographers and creators associated with Nederlands Dans Theater, Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's Rosas, and choreographic platforms such as Sadler's Wells and Jacob's Pillow.
Celis has taught and mentored dancers in settings tied to conservatories and schools such as the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Codarts Rotterdam, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, and the School of American Ballet; he has given workshops at institutions like Juilliard School, L’École des Sables, Canadian National Ballet School, and Paris Opera Ballet School. He has served on juries and panels for competitions and institutions including Prix de Lausanne, YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix), European Dancehouse Network, and festivals such as Montpellier Danse and ImPulsTanz, and worked with programs affiliated with UNESCO, European Commission cultural initiatives, and national ministries for arts.
His work has earned recognition and awards from bodies and events such as the Prix Benois de la Danse, Danza & Danza awards, Vlaamse Cultuurprijs, Grand Prix de la Critique, and national arts councils linked to Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Festivals and institutions including Edinburgh Festival, Salzburg Festival, Venice Biennale, and Montpellier Danse have presented honors and retrospectives associated with his oeuvre, and critics from publications tied to The New Yorker, Le Figaro, Die Zeit, and NRC Handelsblad have cited his contributions to contemporary ballet and choreography.
Category:Belgian choreographers Category:Contemporary ballet Category:Living people